Acclaimed children's book author visits with students at Peoria Public Library
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The author of children's books like I Love My Hair and The Me I Choose to Be visited the Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch to read to local students.
Tuesday morning, students from Peoria Public Schools listened to Natasha Tarpley read her most recently published book, Keyana Loves School. During the visit, she also answered the students' most pressing questions about what it's like being a children's author.
Tarpley said her books focus on African American children. Through her books she tries to celebrate all the things that make a person unique. Something that she thinks is important is writing joyful stories where black children can see themselves reflected in her work.
'I think it's important because there are so many messages in our society positions, African Americans in particular, in pretty negative ways and limited ways,' Tarpley said. 'I think kids absorb that, and they think about that and they kind of take that in, and they allow that to define in some ways who they are. And so my work for me is about creating a more expansive view, a more realistic view of and a nuanced view of what black life and culture is.'
During her speech, she stressed to children how authors use their imagination and draw from their own lives to create fantastical stories. Some advice she had for her readers was to practice your craft, be passionate about your work, and don't worry about the end result.
Sometimes an author can touch people's lives in unexpected ways. Tarpley recalled a time when a mother gave her daughter I Love My Hair to help her daughter through her cancer treatment.
'She gave her I Love My Hair,' Tarpley said, 'As her hair was starting to grow back. So that just stayed with me forever. It was just such a wonderful, touching thing that my book could play a role in that story.'
Natasha Tarpley's latest book, Keyana Loves School is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local library.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
CI Road Trip: Tremont Turkey Festival
TREMONT, Ill. (WMBD) — Chief Meteorologist Chris Yates was in Tremont on Friday for our CI Road Trip. Chris was visiting the Tremont Turkey Festival and was enjoying the food, including the strawberry shortcake. He said he is also looking forward to having a turkey leg. This is the festival's 59th year, with the theme 'Gobble and Groove' honoring the festival's history of live music. Chris talked to Miss Tremont, Ava Proehl, who said her favorite thing about the festival is the community and the businesses. 'I think it's amazing to promote small businesses and look at all the knick-knacky, small things that vendors sell,' Proehl said. The festival will run from June 6 to 8. More information on the festival is available here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
25th annual Juneteenth celebration in Liberty this weekend
LIBERTY, Mo. — A celebration of the African American is happening this weekend. The Clay County African American Legacy is hosting its 25th annual Juneteenth celebration in downtown Liberty. Things to do this weekend in Kansas City June 6-8 The two-day celebration started at 10 a.m. Friday with open house tours of Garrison School Cultural Center Museum. There are six historical exhibit rooms and an art gallery showcasing African American contributions to the region. Friday night, the celebration continues with a dinner and comedy show headlined by Guy Torry. Torry will perform two shows, but unfortunately both are already sold out. 'In the African American culture, we've been celebrating Juneteenth way before it became a federal holiday,' Peter Adams said. 'To see it being honored nationally is absolutely amazing. I was in the country of Columbia, South America and they were even talking about Juneteenth there, so that's a good feeling.' On Saturday, a dedication of the Will Smith Basketball Marker at Ruth Moore Park will be at noon. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Following the dedication is a parade through the downtown square and a reenactment of the historic reading of General Order No. 3, which was issued in 1865 and announced the end of slavery in Texas. Both celebrations are free. Organizers say aside from scheduled events, there will also be plenty of vendors and food. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Carlisle Juneteenth celebration expanded this year
CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM)– Carlisle residents are celebrating Juneteenth, a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, in a big way this year. Rogette Harris and Tavares Tyler from Hope Station, a nonprofit based in Carlisle that helps the African American community with economic and social mobility, announced they are expanding their Juneteenth celebration to a weeklong event. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Harris said that most people see the holiday as a day off work, and they want people to understand the history of Juneteenth. So this year, they are adding an educational aspect to their celebration. The celebration will kick off on June 14 with the 'One Mile for Justice' run/walk, a health fair with free screenings for the community, and a fair, according to Harris. June 15 will feature a fashion show brunch with clothing from black and brown designers, Harris said. Harris said June 16 will be the most educational day of the week. The group will travel to York County to tour the William Goodridge Underground Railroad museum. According to Harris, June 17 will be about building generational wealth, June 18 will feature a community event at the Lincoln Cemetery, and the 'Unshackled & Unfiltered' comedy show will take place on June 21. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
